I'm an urban farmer - have been for the past 13 years. I am not self sufficient, but I grow a lot of my own veg out the back in a fairly tiny space. This blog is the story of how I do it, what grows, and how I use it.
Urban farming/city gardening is great for lost of reasons - not least the delicious and healthy food that you can produce for yourself & your friends & neighbours. If only a few people reading this blog are inspired to trade flowers or grass for vegetables, then I'll be happy.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Seed saving network delivers!

Yesterday the postman delivered two packets - it was better than Christmas! One had a fine selection from Mas Du Diable and the other an embarrasment of garlic from Spade Work.

Both were arranged through this Seed Network. I will or have already reciprocated with seeds that I have saved and made available. See my list.

So here I am, in rural Ireland - getting packages from France and London - I feel very connected to a worldwide gardening community. It's a lovely feeling!

Thanks to both John and Laura - I'm looking forward to planting the seeds in the spring, and the garlic went in immediately - luckily I had a bed all ready for them. The variety of the bulbs was interesting - some had only 3 cloves for a huge bulb, and others had 10 or more cloves for the same bulb size.

Planted the following varieties:Prim - small cloves, but good keeper according to the notesSusan Delafield - 7 clovesGazebo - 3 huge cloves,Gypsy redInchelium red. - this one had loads of individual cloves.

The (Marco) garlic planted a month ago is shooting up - but I was dismayed by the lack of selection at the garden center. Next year I'll be ale to save my own garlic for replanting, and hopefully can swap garlic in subsequent years. What a great initiative, well done Patrick!

6 Comments:

The garlic came from me originally, and you got some of my favorite kinds.

You're probably 1 of less than 10 people growing Gazebo Grande worldwide. It came from a friend of mine who lives in Wisconsin, USA, who grew it in her garden for more than 10 years selectively saving and replanting it until she created her own variety. It almost always always has 4-6 cloves. It's a very nice garlic.

Patrick - Thanks so much for facilitating the seed exchange - it is such a wonderful thing. I'll be teaching a course in veg growing in January, and will be covering seed saving - I'll be pointing people to your site!

Good to know about the Gazebo Grande origins - I feel really special!Anna

It is terrific to get these lovely packages of life giving subsistance in the mail every few days. The network really is a wonderful thing. We realized it a few years back at the Homegrown Goodness message board (http://alanbishop.proboards60.com) and now Patrick is further extending such ideas into the blogosphere.

Good post. Later I'll be adding more to our seed trade list on our blog and posting some about what I have recieved via the Homegrown Goodness board and also through the network.